The document provides background information on Conisbrough Castle, including its timeline of construction and ownership. It was originally built by William de Warenne in 1066 after the Norman conquest. The stone castle and cylindrical keep were built in the late 12th century under Hamelin Plantagenet. During the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century, ownership passed to Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York. The castle then fell into disrepair over subsequent centuries before being acquired by English Heritage for preservation in the 20th century.

1. Toni Lumley – Rainbow Rhythms

2. In-depth timeline here:
Years of focus http://www.hrionline.ac.uk/conisbro
ugh/find/manor_conisbrough.html
CASTLE TIMELINE
• 1066 onward – William de Warenne built a wooden castle on the Conisbrough grounds.
• 1170– Hamelin Plantagenet (Henry II’s half brother ) builds the stone castle.
• 1180 - The cylindrical keep built, Hamelin seems to have ordered its construction to his own design, there being
no other example of this type of keep anywhere in the country.
• 1202 - It is generally assumed that the construction of the stone curtain walls of Conisbrough followed not long
after the keep.
• 1347 – The castle became part of the estates of the royal Dukes of York
• 1446 – Almost unoccupied, after the death of Maud, stepmother of Richard Duke of York, and over next century
and falls into disrepair.
• 1538 – Described as a ruin by commissioners to Henry VIII. and played no part in the Civil War in the next
century.
CASTLE OWNERS
• 1066 – William de Warenne (1st Earl of Surrey) built the first castle after the Norman conquest.
• 1163 – The Warrenne heiress (Isabel) married Hamelin Plantagenet (second marriage). Hamelin dies in 1202.
• 1347 – The last Earl (John, son of Hamelin) died in 1304, with no heir the castle reverted to the Crown and
Edward III cohered the Estate for his youngest son Edmund Langley.
• 1461 – The castle had passed via decedents to Richard Duke of York and then to his son who became Edward IV.
• 1540 – Henry VIII passes the castle to the Carey family (cousins of future queen Elizabeth). It passes by marriage
to the Coke family.
• 1737 – Duke of Leeds
• 1859 – Baron Conyers
• 1920 - Conisbrough local council buys the castle.
• 1940 onwards - English Heritage take over its care.

3. • The third earl who died in 1147 left no male heir, having only one daughter, Isabel. She
married William de Blois, who became the fourth Earl Warenne. He died in 1159, and
in 1163 Henry II arranged another marriage for Isabel, the fifth earl was Hamelin
Plantagenet, Henry’s illegitimate half-brother.
• Hamelin spent more time at his Yorkshire castle than any of the previous earls; he held
the earldom for close on forty years, from 1163 until his death in 1202.
• It was this period that saw the construction of the great stone keep of the castle.
• The cylindrical keep probably dates from around 1180, Hamelin seems to have ordered
its construction to his own design, there being no other example of this type of keep
anywhere in the country.
• It is generally now assumed that the construction of the stone curtain walls of
Conisbrough followed not long after the keep, but the layout and the planning of the
BREAKDOWN
stone buildings within the bailey may not have been begun until the thirteenth century
and may be the work of Hamelin’s son William, earl from 1202 until 1239. Isabel & Hamelin (4 children);
• After the death of William in 1239, the castle passed to John, his son by his second 1) William (1166–1240)
marriage to Maud. She took custody of the castle during the minority of her son, who 2) Ela (1170 born)
3) Isabel
held the manor from 1239 until 1304.
4) Matilda
• John married Alice, the sister of Henry III.
Son William & Wife Maud
• From the Hundred Rolls (records of the local court assizes) of the period of the seventh
earl’s tenure, there come tales of men and women imprisoned at Conisbrough, and of Son John & Wife Alice
the colourful if rather unlawful dealings of the seneschal and constables of the castle,
one of whom, Richard de Heydon, was charged with ‘devilish and innumerable No Heir (reverted to the Crown)
oppressions’.

4. 97 feet high, supported by
6 buttresses.
Built from the highest
quality stone (magnesium
limestone) – cylindrical
keeps rather than
rectangular were popular
of the century however
only Conisbrough Castle
also featured a ring of
wedge shapes buttresses
whose tops may have been
used by archers.
Despite the popularity of
the cylindrical
design, Conisbrough
Castle is the only one still
standing today.
http://www.rotherhamweb.co.uk/h/conisbrough1.htm

5. The Keep is the oldest building at the Castle. It dates back
to 1180 and was built under the instructions of Hamelin
Plantagent.
It stands 27 metres (90 feet) high with walls of 4.6 metres
thick and has 5 levels including the roof.
The Keep was the last bastion of defence at the Castle; if
the Castle came under attack and the walls were breached
then the defenders would retreat to the Keep, pull in the
wooden bridge at the top of the stairs and bolt the door
making it almost impossible for the attackers to gain
entry.
The Keep contains a number of interesting features
including the largest hooded fire-place of its date, a very
impressive private chapel and a fine processional
staircase.
At the top of the Keep are two water storage tanks, a
bread-oven, two observation turrets and a shelter.

6. • The Keep is one of the finest medieval ashlar-faced structures in Britain having been built with the finest
limestone.
• Its design, circular with six evenly spaced full height buttresses rising 90 feet into the air, is unique in
Britain.
• The keep is splayed at the bottom for extra strength in the event of its being besieged, and its entrance lay
on the first floor over 20 feet above the court.
• The keep was entered up a wooden staircase near the castle.
• The staircase would end near the entry to the castle, level with the keep's single door, but it would be quite
a distance from it.
• Entry to the keep itself would then be over a drawbridge.
• The ground floor of the keep was a vaulted basement and well, accessible only from a hatch in the vault's
crown from the first floor. This hatch was used in order to lower buckets into the well.
• The first floor, where the keep would have been entered from, consists of a windowless, round room
which would have been used primarily for storage and as a workroom.
• The second floor, accessed through stairs built into the curve of the keep's wall, was the Lord's Hall. This
was the lord of the castle's public area, and comes complete with wash basin on its north-west side, latrine
on the north-east, a fine window-seat as well as a fine fireplace.
• The third floor was the Lord's Chamber and also houses a latrine, basin and fireplace. Also on the third
floor, built into the eastern buttress, is a small private chapel. This had a round-headed window, sacristy
and retains other Norman decorations.
• Above this level lies the keep's battlements. Here the buttresses are used as a dovecote, shelter for
guards, bread oven and two are used as cisterns.
• The keep of the castle was a hollow shell from the 16th Century until the mid 1990s.

7. What is it About
Arrow slits Thin, vertical, holes where an archer can
launch arrows, lockers nearby to store spare
arrows and bolts.
Battlement Wall-like barrier at the edge of the roof (in
our case The Keep). Built for arrow firing.
Arrow slits are often placed beneath the
Crenel’s
The Bailey The home of the rest of the Lord’s
household & gave them protection.
Barracks, stables, workshops and storage
was found here.
Ringwork Motte-and-bailey castles minus the motte
(usually circular/oval shaped)

8. What is it About
Gatehouse Weakest part of port. The gateway was
hard to find on castles so added on either
side. Passage to gatehouse was
lengthened to increase the amount of
time an assailant had to spend under fire.
Portcullis Latticed grille made of metal. Raised and
lowered using chains and ropes attached
o a winch. Possibly two gates to trap
enemies in-between. Burning wood or
fire-heated sand would be thrown from
the roof.
Workshops Craftsmen, artisans, carpenters, farrier
and blacksmiths would have these in the
bailey.
Yett Gate of latticed wrought iron bars used
for defensive purposes. Also used over
openings and pane-less windows.

9. What is it About
Ballista / Ancient missile weapons. Launched
Springlad large projectiles at distant targets.
Oubliette Type of dungeon/prison which is
accessible only from a hatch in a high
ceiling, would leave prisoners in the
to forget about them.
Dungeons Underground complexes of cells and
torture chambers. A lot of rooms
underground were used for storing
cold food and ice.

10. House of York
The Wars of the Roses were a series of civil wars fought in
medieval England from 1455 to 1487 between the House
of Lancaster and the House of York. The name Wars of the
Roses is based on the badges used by the two sides, the red
rose for the Lancastrians and the white rose for the
Yorkists. Major causes of the conflict include:
1) Both houses were direct descendants of king Edward III
2) The ruling Lancastrian king, Henry VI, surrounded
himself with unpopular nobles
3) The civil unrest of much of the population
4) The availability of many powerful lords with their own
private armies
5) The untimely episodes of mental illness by king Henry
VI.
House of
Lancaster

11. People of interest
Royals: Henry V Henry VI Edward IV Edward V Richard III Henry VII
Other Important People: Margaret of Anjou Richard, Duke of York Warwick, the
Kingmaker

12. Horrible
Histories
Overview

13. • During the Wars of the Roses, possession of Conisbrough Castle
passed to Richard, the Duke of York, but when Edward IV ascended
to the throne in 1461, he retook the castle, which he then allowed to
decay.
• By 1537, the gates, drawbridge, a lengthy section of curtain wall, and
one of the floors inside the great keep had fallen into ruin. Henry VIII
then granted the castle, such as it was, to the Carey family, and in the
1940s the local city council took over the site.
• People involved in the Wars of the Roses & Conisbrough:
• Edmund of Langley (son of Edward III)
• Richard of Conisbrough (son of Edmund of Langley)
• Richard Plantagenet (a.k.a Richard of York) - (son of Richard of
Conisbrough)
• Edward IV (son of Richard Plantagenet) - (King of England from 4
March 1461 until 3 October 1470)

14. Name: Edmund Langley Name: Richard of Conisbrough
(1st Duke of York, 1st Earl of (3rd Earl of Cambridge)
Cambridge) Born: 20 July 1385
Born: 5 June 1341 Death: 14 August 1415
Death: 1 August 1402 (beheaded for treason
Father: King Edward III by Henry V)
Mother: Philippa of Father: Edmund Langley
Hainault Mother: Philippa of Hainault
Wife: Isabella Wife: Anne Mortimer/Matilda
Siblings: Isabella of Castile Clifford
Joan Holland Siblings: Edward of Norwich
Constance of York
• Fifth son of Edward III
• Created Earl of Cambridge in 1362 • Born at Conisburgh Castle
• His first independent command was in Portugal • Discovered to be one of the fomenters of the Southampton
1381-82 Plot against King Henry V to take the throne.
• Accompanying Richard II on his march into • 3rd Baron Scrope of Masham told the King of the plot and
Scotland 1385 Richard was stripped of all his titles and estates and was
• He took his fair share of fighting in the ongoing war beheaded on August 5, 1415 at Southampton
against France, and he and Gaunt persuaded the Green, Hampshire along with fellow conspirator Henry
Black Prince to halt the massacre of the people of Scrope.
Limoges • In 1461, following the Wars of the Roses, the House of
• In this capacity he held a parliament in 1395 York took the throne from the House of Lancaster and
• He died at King's Langley on the 1st of August Richard's conviction and execution was annulled at the
1402. new king's first parliament.
• As a son of the sovereign, Edmund • Richard bore his father's arms (Lionel’s arms)
bore the arms of the sovereign
(Lionel's arms)

15. Name: Richard
Plantagenet / Name: Edward IV
Richard of York Born: 28 April 1442
(3rd Duke of York, 6th Earl of March, 4th Earl of Death: 9 April 1483
Cambridge, and 7th Earl of Ulster)
Father: Richard of York
Born: 21 September 1411
Mother: Cecily Neville
Death: 30 December 1460
Wife: Elizabeth Woodville
Father: Richard of
Siblings: Richard III
Conisbrough
King: 4 March 1461 - 3 October
Mother: Anne de Mortimer
1470
Wife: Cecily Neville
Siblings: Isabel, Countess of • In the mid 1460s Edward had alienated his most
Essex important ally and the man that put him on the
• Richard was four when his father was executed for throne Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, by marrying
treason, yet he managed to recover his lands and titles a commoner.
by 1425. • Warwick could feel his power slipping away and in
• In 1454 Henry VI fell ill and York was elected regent 1469 he launched a successful rebellion and
in his place. After his and his allies’ dismissal from imprisoned Edward at Warwick Castle. After
power in early 1455, the Duke raised an army and Edward’s release Warwick’s next rebellion was
defeated and captured the king in battle at St. Albans. crushed, but the earl fled to France, invaded England
For a short while York ruled as ‘regent’. and put Henry VI back on the throne.
• In 1459 the conflict reopened with the battle of Blore • In 1471 it was the exiled Edward’s turn to invade, and
Heath, but York no longer desired to rule as regent march on London where he met the Kingmaker in
but to wear the crown itself. battle. Warwick was killed and a year later Edward
• On the 30th of December 1460, the Duke was slain, crushed the remaining Lancastrians at Tewkesbury.
fighting for his life outside his Castle of Sandal in • The King died on April 9, 1483, allegedly of illness
Yorkshire where the enemy surrounded him. caused by his ‘over-living’ and debauchery, leaving
• Within a few weeks of his death his eldest surviving behind him seven children, including the princes in
son was acclaimed King Edward IV, and finally the Tower and Elisabeth of York, future wife to Henry
established the House of York on the throne following VI.
a decisive victory over the Lancastrians at the Battle
of Towton.
Coat of arms of Edward IV

16. The Arms of William de The Arms of Edmund
Warren Langley and Richard
Chequy Or and Azure Duke of York
Conisbrough: 1066-1304 Conisbrough: 1347-1461
Black & white tiff image;
here The Arms of Edward III.
When he claimed the The Arms of Richard of
French throne in 1337, he Conisbrough
quartered the royal
shield, combining the lions Conisbrough: 1461-
of England with the fleurs- 1540
de-lys of France.
Conisbrough passed on to
son Edmund

17. The Arms of Edward Edward IV's Coat of Arms Edward IV's Signature
IV, from one of his
manuscripts

18. Information:
• http://www.rotherhamweb.co.uk/h/conisbrough1.htm
• http://www.castleweb.co.uk/?p=48
• http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/publications/conisbrough-castle-teachers-
kit/conisbrough-castle-tk/
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/dna/place-lancashire/plain/A2350018
• http://www.warsoftheroses.com/index.htm
Images:
• http://www.urbexforums.com/showthread.php/2676-Conisbrough-Castle-11-01-2009-
ARCHIVED
Other helpful resources:
• http://mh3dartwork.blogspot.co.uk/2006/10/conisbrough-castle-concept.html
• http://www.flash-fx.net/3D/misc.php